Refrigerating apparatus



'(N'd Model.) l s sheets-sheet 1. v A. J. CHASE.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

No. 374,114.. Patented Nov. 29.1887.)

` (No Model.)A 3 sheetsL-sheef 2;

A. J. CHASE.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

N.374,l14. o l 72973.fadzelcned Nov 29 1887 M l/fg.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

l A. J. CHASE.l

REPRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Patented Nov. 29, 1887.

N. PTRS Fhulbthogmphsf, Washnghn. D. C.

l" UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes,

ANDREW J. CHASE, OF BOSTON, MASSAClEiUSEFlS.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374.114, dated November29, 1887.

Application filed October 23, 1886. Renewed November 1, 1887. Serial No.254,013. (No model.)

The objects of my invention are to provide,

novel means for maintaining the ice and pickle separated from each otherin the ice-tank, and to provide a novel construction of ice-tank forutilizing the refrigerating properties of the pickle.

The objects of myinvention l accomplish in the manner and by the meanshereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional elevation of arefrigerator-car embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a detail verticalsectional view through one of the ice-tanks and the roof of the car,andv Fig.

3 a horizontal sectional View taken on `line x a: of Fig. 1. v

In orderto enable those skilled i'n the art to make and use myinvention, l will now describe the same in detail, reference being madeto the drawings, where I have shown my invention embodiedin theconstruction of a refrigerating railway-car; but, obviously, theinvention can be embodied in steamships, vessels, and other structures,whether traveling or stationary.

The numeral 1 indicates the wooden walls of the structure, having aroundone end a series of standards or stanchions, 2, to which is secured therectangular or similar shaped metallic casing 3 across the car, whichcasing is thereby separated from the end and side walls of the car by anintervening air-circulating space, 4, in such manner that the casing isdetached from the wooden walls. By this arrangement, if the externalair, with its heat and moisture, should pass through the wooden Walls,the contained moisture in such air vwill be taken up by the coldmetallic surface of the casing at a distance from the wooden walls,leaving the air dry, and the condensed moisture will drip fromthe casinginto the drip-pan 5, keeping the wooden walls dry and preventing themfrom becoming saturated to such an extent as to impair theirnon-conducting properties where employed in air-tightfreezingcompartments. The casing is open at both top and bottom, as at6so that the air circulates between it and the wooden walls; and withinthe said casing are placed a series of metallic ice-tanks, 7, havingimperforate walls, of oval, cylindrical, or similar shape, incross-section, bearing against the opposite sides of the casing, whilethe end tanks bear against the ends as well as the'sides thereof. lneach tank is located a horizontal division-wall, 8, of Wood or othermaterial, having perforations or passages and dividing the tank into anupper icereceiving chamber, 9, and a lower picklereceiving chamber, 10,the lower end of which is closed by a wooden or other bottom, 11, havinga single orifice, 12, which can be opened and closed by a plug or valve,13, connected with a rod, 14, extending up through the tank to or nearthe roof or top wall of the car or other structure.

A dividing vertical partition, 15, extends across the car from side toside between the casing and the preserving-compartment 18, and is heldand supported at a slight distance away from the inner side wall ofthelining or casing by interposed wooden strips to provide an airpassagebetween the casing and the partition, the latter terminating at a shortdistance from the loor and roof of the car, as at 16 and 17, to permitthe automatic circulation of air from the preserving-compartment 18,around the partition, the tanks, and the detached metallic casing. Theupper ends of the tanks open into an ice-supply trunk'. or hopper, 19,extending across the roof of the car and common to all the tanks, sothat the latter will be maintained full of ice. The trunk or hopper isfilled with ice by removing its cover 20, and acts as a feeder to thetanks, and where the invention is applied to a railway-car thevibrations thereof serve to automatically feed the ice into the tanks.

The walls comprising the casing, as well as the walls ofthe tanks,overhang the drip-pan l5, which is placed in or on the loor of the caror other structure in such manner that the drippings resulting fromcondensation are received by the pan, and escape therefrom by a ICOsuitable outlet, 21, which may, if desired, discharge into a suitablevessel orreceiver.

A metallic or other suitable apron, 22, is suspended in each tank andforms a close joint with the horizontal division-wall 8, to which it maybe secured, such apron conforming in cross-section to the form of thetank, or substantially so, but of a less diameter than the tank, so asto provide a surrounding unobstructed vertical space, 23, between theapron and the walls of the tank. The apron terminates at its lower edgea short distance above the bottom wall of the pickle-chamber to providea space, 24C, and the walls of each tank at some suitable point beneaththev division-wall 8 are provided with lateral outlet-orifices 25. Thespace 23 holds a stratum or column of pickle between the apron and thewall of the tank for constantly absorbing heat` thereby raising thetemperature of such stratum or column. The descending pickle, resultingfrom theice and salt mixturaforces the stratum or column to graduallyassume a higher altitude, until finally it escapes through theoutletoriices 25, but not untilsuch stratum has effected its purpose ofabsorbing heat, and thus enlarging the refrigerating capacity of theapparatus. As will be obvious, the descending cold pickle and ascendingstratum of pickle cause a continuous but slow circulation, the stratumconstantly absorbing heat and the descending pickle pressing on thestratum and forcing it upward.

The pickle can be discharged from the pickle-chamber by operating theplug or valve 13 through its rod 14, to open the orifice 12. The pickleor brine, which has a commercial value, can be drawn off and used fromtime to time for pickling purposes.

rlhe walls comprising the casing increase the cooling and condensingsurface, induce a rapid circulation of air, and, touching the externalsurfaces of the imperforate walls of all the tanks, become afrost-bearing plant by conduction. The walls of the casing overhang thedrip-pan and present its inner and outer surfaces to the circulatingair, whereby the cooling capacity of a given size of refrigeratingapparatus is largely increased.

The division-walls in the tanks maintain the ice in the upper part fromcontact with the pickle in the pickle-chamber, and also prevent the icefrom forcing out the pickle by displacement, as occurs where the icerests or floats directly in the brine.

The tanks are suspended and held by their upper ends being secured to orconnected with the roof or top of the car or otherv structure, and themetallic casing, as well as the partition, are of less height than thetanks, so that the casing is open at its upper and lower ends; but,obviously, such open ends may be otherwise produced, so long as theconstruction is such that the circulating air can pass, as indicated bythe arrows, along both surfaces of the casing and the external surfacesof the tanks. The tanks have a circular or oval form in crosssectiou, sothat they only have contact with the casing at certain points and permitthe free circulation of the air about the imperforatc walls of the tank;so that the circulating air is preserved in adry condition, as it nevercomes in contact with the ice in the tanks, as is the case in theconstruction of refri gerator for which Letters Patent No. 289, 97 7were issued December' 11, 1883, to NV. A. Chase, which construction l donot wish to be understood as claiming.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim isv 1. In an ice-tankfor refrigerating structures, the combination, with a horizonalperforated partition dividing said tank into an upper ice-chamber and alower pickle-chamber, said pickle-chamber having a lateral outlet in itsupper end, of an apron suspended in the pickle-chamber directly from thehorizontal partition and extending continuously around said chamber, butnot in contact therewith at its bottom or sides, whereby a space isafforded for an ascending stratum of pickle between the outer surface ofthe apron and the inner surface of the pickle-chamber, substantially asdescribed.

2. rlhe combination, with an ice-tank having a horizontal perforatedpartition, 8, for supporting the ice, and a pickle-chamber locatedbeneath said partition and provided with upper outlet, 12, and loweroutlet, 25, of an apron, 22, suspended in said pickle-chamber, adrip-pan, 5, located beneath the pickle-chamber, and a plug-valve, 13,fitted to the lower outlet of the pickle-chamber and provided with anoperating-rod, substantially as described.

]n testimony whereof I have affixed my sig- IOO

